TRUMP'S PLAN TO END THE WAR IN GAZA LEADS ISRAEL TO SWALLOW BITTER PILL

In the first days of November 2024, with the release of the first results of the US presidential elections announcing Trump's victory, people in Israel began to uncork champagne bottles celebrating the beginning of a new era. A strategic horizon that, at first glance, foreshadowed a different and much more profitable future than that dictated by the Biden administration, fostered many fantasies and the expectation of the materialization of old dreams.

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's Finance Minister, said at a meeting of his party that, "Trump's victory represents an important opportunity for Israel. We were one step away from annexing the territory of our settlements in the West Bank to Israel. Now the time has come to do it." He later added: "I have instructed the Settlement Administration to prepare to apply Israeli sovereignty to the settlements throughout the West Bank" (Israel Hayom 11-11-2024).

Less than a year later, it can now be said that, with all his love and identification with Israel and Jews (especially US Jews, his powerful campaign donors), the strategic vision of Trump's global project for his new cadence repositions Israel and Jews in his order of priorities, relegating them to a secondary level.

TRUMP AND THE GODFATHERS OF THE DEAL: TURKEY, QATAR AND EGYPT, WITHOUT ISRAEL

Trump's strategic project is based on an aggressive policy of global promotion of US economic interests, which, if realized, requires, a priori, ending or at least halting the state of war in heated conflicts around the world. Thus, in a short time, Trump vigorously and even brutally sought to resolve conflicts in various regions of the world, not always upholding the values ​​of justice and equity.

In the Middle East, Trump understood that the prospects for advancing his project on a global scale largely clash with long-standing principles of American diplomacy, which for years had subordinated Israeli interests as the top priority. Faced with this dilemma, Trump decided to shift his priorities to prioritize reaching an agreement that would end the war in the Middle East and initiate a process aimed at resolving the conflict, all without abandoning his personal interest in defending Israel. Trump sees this historic shift as a necessary condition that would allow him to advance his multi-billion-dollar business dealings with Arab states, which, with their deep pockets, are willing to partner with the US, but which, as is known, demand the protection of the basic rights of their Palestinian brothers in return.

Under this constellation, Trump is advancing in the region with a plan that basically seeks to balance the mutual demands of Israel and the Palestinians. Within this framework, he demands that Israel be forced to renounce certain conditions that various governments and Israeli society, for the most part, have considered non-negotiable in recent years.

These are some of the disappointments that the Israeli government and society will face within the framework of Trump's plan.

A. Active participation of Turkey and Qatar throughout the entire process, from being part of the forces that will impose civil and security order in Gaza, to leading the reconstruction of Gaza. These are two states whose political leaders enjoy excellent relations with the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which is closely linked politically to Hamas, which necessarily leads to a deep dislike on the part of Israel.

B As an explicit demand of the Arab states involved in the plan, the Palestinian Authority, after committing to undergo a process of reforms, would play an important role in leading the reconstruction process and imposing civil order and security in Gaza, all contrary to Netanyahu's public statements.

C The Israeli colonization plans in Gaza were forgotten, and Trump categorically declared that he had committed to leaders of Arab countries not to allow Israel to annex territories in the West Bank.

D Trump did not rule out, as has been the unwavering position of all US presidents until now, the possibility that the end of the process would include the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Asked about this, he responded: "Many people like the one-state solution, while others like two-state solutions." "We'll have to see. I haven't commented on that" (DW News, 10/13/25).

E Trump is considering the possibility of "asking Israel" to release Marwan Barghouti, now considered by Palestinians to be the only leader capable of replacing the octogenarian and worn-out Mahamoud Habbas, who is imprisoned in Israel with five life sentences for participating in the murder of Israelis (Reuters, 10/23/25).

The deep displeasure and annoyance for Netanyahu and Israel over this possible outcome, as it takes shape these days, is at the opposite pole when compared to the repeated plans and promises of Netanyahu, his ministers, and his government.

The numerous Israeli military operations against Hamas over the past two decades ended with grandiloquent declarations by the Israeli leadership of a resounding victory and a crushing defeat for Hamas, which society quickly realized was nothing more than a farce disconnected from reality. Once again, Israeli society is faced with unfulfilled promises, but this time with the intervention of Trump, who, with his dictatorial style, is apparently on the path to a drastic change in the reality experienced these past two decades on the Gaza border.

As it turns out, it is very likely that Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza will force Israel to swallow many bitter pills.

Daniel Kupervaser

Herzlya – Israel 27-10-2025

https://ojalameequivoque.blogspot.com/

kupervaser.daniel@gmail.com

@KupervaserD